Dr Tamara Brown

Research Fellow

Politics Stirling

Dr Tamara Brown

Contact details

About me

In December 2020 Tamara joined the Faculty of Social Sciences to work on a UKRI funded project entitled: ‘The impact of COVID-19 fear: evidence to inform social, health and economic recovery - a Healthy Ageing in Scotland study’. Tamara will be involved in developing the COVID fear scale, analyses and writing papers for the health engagement work package. Previous to this, in March 2019 Tamara joined the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports as a Research Fellow and was involved in a pilot trial of the Mini-AFTERc intervention to manage fears of cancer recurrence in patients with breast cancer, funded by the NHS Marsden Foundation and Chief Scientist Office. Tamara is also a Senior Research Fellow in Obesity at Leeds Beckett University. Tamara is a Cochrane trained systematic reviewer and has authored various Cochrane reviews for seven Cochrane Review Groups (Breast Cancer; Drugs and Alcohol; Injuries; Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders; Public Health; Vascular; Wounds). Tamara has held various Research Fellow posts in 8 UK universities and conducted over 20 systematic reviews and written over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 20 scientific reports for various funders including the BDA, NICE, NIHR, PHE and the WHO. Over the last 15 years, Tamara’s research has helped to shape public health practice. In 2020 she co-lead on a PHE review of the barriers and facilitators to preventing and treating childhood obesity in families most at risk of developing excess weight, published as a PHE branded weight management resource. In 2019 she lead a review of how national policies in England aim to reduce health inequalities in children and young people funded by the NIHR School for Public Health Research. In 2018 she lead a scoping review examining the role and impact of commercial infant and baby food and drink on the diets of children aged 4-36 months on behalf of PHE which underpinned the UK government’s sugar reduction programme. Tamara is particularly interested in interventions for behavioural risk factors for non-communicable disease, such as lifestyle interventions for obesity prevention. She is passionate about translating evidence-based research into practice and enjoys helping practitioners to deliver the best care, through undertaking systematic reviews, from protocol development through to publication and dissemination.

Systematic review, meta-analysis, scoping reviews, mixed methods, qualitative. Tamara is currently researching the concept of fear and health anxiety specifically in relation to Covid-19 and cancer. Tamara is particularly interested in interventions for behavioural risk factors for non-communicable disease, such as lifestyle interventions for obesity prevention. She is passionate about translating evidence-based research into practice and enjoys helping practitioners to deliver the best care, through undertaking systematic reviews, from protocol development through to publication and dissemination.

Outputs (40)

Article

Living and Researching the COVID-19 Pandemic: Autoethnographic Reflections from a Co-Research Team of Older People and Academics

McCabe L, Brown T, Anderson R, Chrystall L, Curry D, Fairclough M, Ritchie C, Scrutton P, Smith A & Douglas E (2024) Living and Researching the COVID-19 Pandemic: Autoethnographic Reflections from a Co-Research Team of Older People and Academics. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21 (10), Art. No.: 1329. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21101329

Research Report

Has The Pandemic Changed Older People's Worries About Health

McGregor L, Brown T & Douglas E (2022) Has The Pandemic Changed Older People's Worries About Health [HAGIS COVID-19 AND YOU: IMPACT AND RECOVERY STUDY]. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/_files/ugd/5d9fd0_36c3c9483a6349ac941dec1f83871222.pdf

Research Report

Technology And Social Connectedness

McCabe L, Brown T & Douglas C (2022) Technology And Social Connectedness [HAGIS Covid-19 And You: a qualitative study of older adults' experiences of living through COVID-19]. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/_files/ugd/5d9fd0_444ece9ade794c9db9d1f3ddaf1a05e2.pdf

Research Report

Experiences Of Health Engagement With Health Services

McCabe L, Brown T & Douglas C (2022) Experiences Of Health Engagement With Health Services [HAGIS Covid-19 and You: A qualitative report of older adults' experiences living through COVID-19]. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/_files/ugd/5d9fd0_165fd0023bd0423d9657e183f7aedc83.pdf

Research Report

HAGIS COVID Impact & Recovery Executive Summary Report

Douglas E, Bell D, Dawson A, Brown T, Pemble C, Houston J, Comerford D, Olivarius O, Duggan A, McCabe L, Douglas C, McGregor L & Coutts-Murray K (2022) HAGIS COVID Impact & Recovery Executive Summary Report. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/reports

Research Report

Health Service Engagement In Scotland During And After The Pandemic

McGregor L, Brown T & Douglas E (2022) Health Service Engagement In Scotland During And After The Pandemic [HAGIS COVID-19 AND YOU: IMPACT AND RECOVERY STUDY]. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/_files/ugd/5d9fd0_381d4f906fca4e92bf51ffe314087269.pdf

Research Report

Feelings Losses And Opportunities Emerging From The Pandemic

McCabe L, Brown T & Douglas C (2022) Feelings Losses And Opportunities Emerging From The Pandemic [HAGIS: Covid-19 and You - a qualitative study of older adults' experiences of living through COVID-19]. UKRI. Stirling. https://www.hagis.scot/_files/ugd/5d9fd0_55c2be6887a743bb9139ff98f4773f5d.pdf

Research Report

COVID-19 and You: Impact & Recovery Study

Dawson A, Brown T, Pemble C & Douglas E (2022) COVID-19 and You: Impact & Recovery Study [A literature review to inform the development of a UK specific instrument to measure COVID-19 fear]. UKRI. https://www.hagis.scot/reports

Conference Paper (published)

COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Survey: how COVID-19 fear impacts social, health and economic recovery from the pandemic in people aged over 50

Brown T, Douglas E, Douglas C & McCabe L (2022) COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Survey: how COVID-19 fear impacts social, health and economic recovery from the pandemic in people aged over 50. In: Preparing for the future III: Tackling key challenges facing longitudinal population studies in a post-COVID world - Book of abstracts. CLOSER Preparing for the future III – tackling key challenges facing longitudinal population studies in a post-COVID world, Virtual, 20.01.2022. London: Closer. https://www.closer.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/Preparing-for-the-future-III-Book-of-abstracts.pdf

Article

A Secondary Analysis of the Childhood Obesity Prevention Cochrane Review through a Wider Determinants of Health Lens: Implications for Research Funders, Researchers, Policymakers and Practitioners

Nobles J, Summerbell C, Brown T, Jago R & Moore T (2021) A Secondary Analysis of the Childhood Obesity Prevention Cochrane Review through a Wider Determinants of Health Lens: Implications for Research Funders, Researchers, Policymakers and Practitioners. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 18, Art. No.: 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-021-01082-2

Conference Paper (published)

The Impact of COVID-19 Fear: Evidence To Inform Social, Health And Economic Recovery - A Healthy Ageing In Scotland (HAGIS) Study

Douglas E, Bell DNF, Comerford D, McCabe L, Pemble C, McGregor L & Brown T (2021) The Impact of COVID-19 Fear: Evidence To Inform Social, Health And Economic Recovery - A Healthy Ageing In Scotland (HAGIS) Study. In: Ageing Past, Present and Future: Innovation and Change. British Society of Gerontology 50th Annual Conference, Online, 07.07.2021-09.07.2021. Hampshire: British Society of Gerontology, p. 165. https://www.britishgerontology.org/public/31949/BSG_Conference_Book_2021_Online_v2.pdf

Review

Cilostazol for intermittent claudication

Brown T, Forster RB, Cleanthis M, Mikhailidis DP, Stansby G & Stewart M (2021) Cilostazol for intermittent claudication. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2021 (6), Art. No.: CD003748. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003748.pub5

Other

A rapid review of the development and validation of instruments specifically designed to assess or measure 'COVID-19 fear'

Dawson A, Pemble C, Brown T, Comerford D, Olivarius O, McGregor L, Bell D & Douglas E (2021) A rapid review of the development and validation of instruments specifically designed to assess or measure 'COVID-19 fear'. National Institute for Health Research. PROSPERO 2021, CRD42021250233. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021250233

Article

Interventions for preventing obesity in children

Brown T, Moore TH, Hooper L, Gao Y, Zayegh A, Ijaz S, Elwenspoek M, Foxen SC, Magee L, O'Malley C, Waters E & Summerbell CD (2019) Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019 (7), Art. No.: CD001871. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001871.pub4

Conference Paper (published)

Opportunities and challenges when updating Cochrane reviews: Specialist breast care nurses for supportive care of women with breast cancer

Brown T, Noblet M & Cruickshank S (2019) Opportunities and challenges when updating Cochrane reviews: Specialist breast care nurses for supportive care of women with breast cancer. In: RCN International Nursing Research Conference and Exhibition 2019 Conference Abstracts. RCN International Nursing Research Conference 2019, Sheffield Hallam University, 03.09.2019-05.09.2019. London: Royal College of Nursing, pp. 90-91. https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/research-and-innovation/research-events/rcn-2019-research-conference

Other

Do the outcomes of interventions for the treatment of obesity and overweight in children aged under ten years, delivered by a health care professional, vary by socio-demographic characteristics? A review of Cochrane reviews

Brown T, Ells L, Neveux M, Nowicka P & Lobstein T (2019) Do the outcomes of interventions for the treatment of obesity and overweight in children aged under ten years, delivered by a health care professional, vary by socio-demographic characteristics? A review of Cochrane reviews. PROSPERO. CRD42019128687. http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019128687

Article

Exploring the evidence base for Tier 3 specialist weight management interventions for children aged 2-18 years in the UK: a rapid systematic review

Brown T, O’Malley C, Blackshaw J, Coulton V, Tedstone A, Summerbell C & Ells LJ (2018) Exploring the evidence base for Tier 3 specialist weight management interventions for children aged 2-18 years in the UK: a rapid systematic review. Journal of Public Health, 40 (4), pp. 835-847. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdx166

Article

Interventions for treating children and adolescents with overweight and obesity: an overview of Cochrane reviews

Ells LJ, Rees K, Brown T, Mead E, Al-Khudairy L, Azevedo L, McGeechan GJ, Baur L, Loveman E, Clements H, Rayco-Solon P, Farpour-Lambert N & Demaio A (2018) Interventions for treating children and adolescents with overweight and obesity: an overview of Cochrane reviews. International Journal of Obesity, 42 (11), pp. 1823-1833. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-018-0230-y

Article

Diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions for the treatment of overweight or obese children from the age of 6 to 11 years

Mead E, Brown T, Rees K, Azevedo LB, Whittaker V, Jones D, Olajide J, Mainardi GM, Corpeleijn E, O'Malley C, Beardsmore E, Al‐Khudairy L, Baur L, Metzendorf M, Demaio A & Ells LJ (2017) Diet, physical activity and behavioural interventions for the treatment of overweight or obese children from the age of 6 to 11 years. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 22 (6), Art. No.: CD012651. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012651

Article

The impact of interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets open to the general public: a systematic review: Promoting healthier food outlet meals

Hillier-Brown FC, Summerbell CD, Moore HJ, Routen A, Lake AA, Adams J, White M, Araujo-Soares V, Abraham C, Adamson AJ & Brown TJ (2017) The impact of interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets open to the general public: a systematic review: Promoting healthier food outlet meals. Obesity Reviews, 18 (2), pp. 227-246. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12479

Article

Development and evaluation of an intervention for the prevention of childhood obesity in a multiethnic population: the Born in Bradford applied research programme

Wright J, Fairley L, McEachan R, Bryant M, Petherick E, Sahota P, Santorelli G, Barber S, Lawlor DA, Taylor N, Bhopal R, Cameron N, West J, Hill A & Brown T (2016) Development and evaluation of an intervention for the prevention of childhood obesity in a multiethnic population: the Born in Bradford applied research programme. Programme Grants for Applied Research, 4 (6), pp. 1-164. https://doi.org/10.3310/pgfar04060

Article

Community pharmacy-delivered interventions for public health priorities: a systematic review of interventions for alcohol reduction, smoking cessation and weight management, including meta-analysis for smoking cessation

Brown TJ, Todd A, O'Malley C, Moore HJ, Husband AK, Bambra C, Kasim A, Sniehotta FF, Steed L, Smith S, Nield L & Summerbell CD (2016) Community pharmacy-delivered interventions for public health priorities: a systematic review of interventions for alcohol reduction, smoking cessation and weight management, including meta-analysis for smoking cessation. BMJ Open, 6 (2), p. e009828. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009828

Article

Frequency and socio-demographic correlates of eating meals out and take-away meals at home: cross-sectional analysis of the UK national diet and nutrition survey, waves 1-4 (2008-12)

Adams J, Goffe L, Brown T, Lake AA, Summerbell C, White M, Wrieden W & Adamson AJ (2015) Frequency and socio-demographic correlates of eating meals out and take-away meals at home: cross-sectional analysis of the UK national diet and nutrition survey, waves 1-4 (2008-12). International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12 (1), Art. No.: 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-015-0210-8